A nurse who collected a stash of extreme pornography including vile images of child sexual abuse has been struck off.

Duncan Edwards, of Stocks Lane, Chichester, West Sussex - a former senior charge nurse at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford - was caught after Canadian police tipped off UK officers that Edwards had bought sick DVDs.

When police raided his home on December 9 2013 there was no sign of any films, but 445 images were discovered among deleted files on his computer's hard drive.

Some were among the most serious category and involved children between the ages of nine to 12.

Appearing at Guildford Magistrates' Court on July 15 2014, Edwards pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent images, possessing extreme pornography depicting acts likely to result in injury to a person's intimate areas and possessing prohibited images of children.

He was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court last August when he was given a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for two years.

The former nurse was ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work and participate in the Thames Valley Internet Sex Offenders Treatment Programme.

'Grossly offensive'

Now Edwards has also been struck off the medical register following a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) hearing.

Chair Ms Sheila Hewitt said the NMC panel took account of Edwards' early admissions of guilt and previous 29-year unblemished career, but felt that the "extreme pornographic images of children which were grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character" were "a substantial departure" from the standards expected of a registered nurse.

"When considering whether Mr Edwards' fitness to practice is currently impaired the panel had regard to the seriousness of his convictions," Ms Hewitt said.

"They related to the possession of child pornography over a protracted period of time," she continued.

"This was particularly serious given that Mr Edwards, as a registered nurse, would have unrestricted access to particularly vulnerable children.

"The panel considered the convictions to be so serious and so far removed from what the public would expect of a registered nurse that they did go to the issue of Mr Edwards' fitness to practice.

"In all the circumstances, the panel concluded that Mr Edwards' convictions make a striking off order the only sanction that would adequately uphold public confidence in the profession and the NMC as its regulator."

Edwards has 28 days to lodge any appeal against the striking off order.

'No evidence of patient harm'

The Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said in a statement that it supported the NMC decision.

It added Edwards was suspended "with immediate effect" when the trust was made aware of the allegations and he was no longer working for the hospital.

Louise Stead, director of nursing and patient experience, argued that he would not have had "unrestricted access to vulnerable children".

She said: "The safety of our patients is our utmost priority. He would not have been working in an area without other staff members present.

"The NMC investigation found there was no evidence of patient harm.

"The trust will always act to protect its patients and actively encourages its staff and patients to speak out should they notice any behavior that raises a concern."